Ball joint, especially for vehicle steering/suspension system, has supple lubricant-retaining seal fixed to both pivot and housing sections

摘要

The ball joint, comprising articulated pivot (4) and housing (10) components, and a seal (16) with an inner cavity (V) to hold a lubricant, has the seal fixed permanently to both the housing and pivot and made to incorporate a series of ring-shaped mechanical reinforcing elements of metal or composition material, connected by a supple material that allows them to move relative to one another. The supple material has a hardness of less that 15 Shore A, and especially nearer 10, and has an elongation capacity of over 500 per cent.